Sigmund has become notorious for its unusual pretzels, some sweet, some savory; some dusted with diverse seeds (poppy, pumpkin, sesame), some without. The single-minded bakery — which has a pleasant seating area — makes sandwiches, too, using pretzels instead of bread.

The smoked salmon sandwich is like the cousin of something you might find in a bagel shop; indeed, the origin of the bagel and pretzel are interconnected in Teutonic baking lore. But, as we discovered in our recent history of NYC’s street pretzel, the crossed arms of the pretzel were a medieval gesture of prayer. Making Sigmund’s pretzel sandwich something of a holy lunch.